“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30 ).

There is no doubt that loss, pain, worry (even guilt) accompanies leaving loved ones behind for the sake of following His call on one’s life. Lord, Counselor, would you please give great discernment and wisdom of how best to care for aging parents long-distance. We ask for peace, love, understanding, and clear communication among siblings, along with provision for the various stages of transition as the needs become more complicated. Wisdom and provision (and timing) in “emergency” visits. If their parents don’t know Jesus as their Savior, would you bring them into intimate relationship to You before they die. We pray for sweet, significant times together while they are Stateside. Help them make time to just “be” with their parents, in the midst of hectic schedules.

Yemen sits on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula between Saudi Arabia and East Africa. Yemen is probably the poorest of the Arab nations. Lord, we pray for the gospel to be welcomed into the women’s afternoons of talking and sharing. By personal visits or by way of radio, may biblical truth expand their worldviews and challenge their thinking. We also pray for a house-church planting movement to sweep across Yemen as families serve as a catalyst for other families to believe in Jesus the Messiah.

Few Yemens are literate and even those that are might be more likely to learn through auditory means. We pray for broadcast or audio-resource ministries: for resources, personnel, favor and wisdom in dialect and programming choices. We pray for those reaching out to Yemenis wherever they live. Lord, we ask you to give them wisdom, love and persistence in believing that Yemenis can follow Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

About the author

Debbie Suits grew up in Naples, Italy, and fell in love with the city and its people. She came close to returning to Italy, but ended up in Madrid, Spain, where she and her husband worked for 16 years. They returned to the States due to the special needs of one of their children. She now lives in Denver, CO, with her husband and three kids (ages 24, 22 and 18). Debbie is a bi-lingual nanny, companion to the elderly, and Color Consultant. She is the author of the 30 Days of Prayer and is a representative of Get Hope Global (micro-enterprise loans). Debbie has been a part of Thrive retreats for many years as a Color Consultant and shares a kindred spirit with fellow women who work abroad.